Combined receiver and holder



D661. 29, 1931. SUTTON 1,838,163

COMBINED RECEIVER AND HOLDER Filed Feb. 1, 1928 Patented Dec. 29, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ERNEST S. SUTTON, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO D'RI-KOLD MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE COMBINED RECEIVER AND HOLDER "Application filed February 1, 1928. Serial No. 251,148.

This invention relates to a container for crystallized or precipitated liquid gas, more particularly a container for what is commonly termed snow resulting from the expansion of liquid carbonic acid or a liquid compound containing carbonic acid.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved container capable of serving as the member in which the formation of the crystals or snow takes place and as a holder or enclosing member therefor and having walls formed from a material which has relatively low heat conducting properties, whereby the resulting product or snow may be safely and conveniently handled for any desired purpose, for example, in connection with the packing and storing of edibles, whether the latter have been previously frozen or hardened in the presence of a refrigerated medium or not.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved receiver and holder for crystallized liquid gas having a wall or walls of low heat conducting properties, whereby tendency of the crystallized gas or snow to readily evaporate is retarded and reduced to a minimum, so that edibles may be kept for a relatively long period of time in condition for consumption.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved container or holder for crystallized liquid gas or snow having a wall or walls capable of absorbing any moisture present, the result being that the gas will be readily formed into crystallized form or snow without undue waste of liquid incident to the expansion thereof, so that a relatively large number of refrigerating units may -be formed from any predetermined quantity of the liquid.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combined receiver and container or holder for crystallized liquid gas or liquid gas compound or snow constructed to admit the liquid and permit the necessary expansion thereof to produce the snow and evaporation of the latter, but which is substantially sealed to prevent contact of the snow or parts thereof by persons handling the product or others who may be unaware of the danger involved in touching or otherwise coming in contact with the snow due to its low temperature.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved container or holder, which is relatively simple in construction, light in weight and readily and cheaply manufactured, and which lends itself to adaptation for use in connection with the packing and storing of edibles, and particularly edibles previously frozen to any desired temperature, so that the size or quantity of the snow or compact mass of crystals and rate of vapori 'zation may be regulated within certain limits to insure the proper and desired condition of the edibles at the end of any predetermined period of time.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which my invention relates from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

The refrigerating element herein disclosed is capable of being produced in apparatus of varying forms of construction, for example, that shown in the application of Armstrong E. Lawrence,'Ser. No. 84692.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a combined receiver and container embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the parts shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the parts shown in Figs. 1 and 2, parts being broken away.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4a is a view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the receiver and container filled with snow.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are views, partly in elevation and partly in section, of the respective parts of the receiver and container.

Fig. 8 is a plan view showing a different form of combined receiver and holder embodying my invention, parts being broken away.

Fig. 9 is a side view of the'embodiment shown in Fig. 8, parts being broken away.

Fig. 10 is a side view of one part of the member shown in Figs. 8 and 9, parts being broken away.

Fig. 11 is a side view of the remaimng parts of the member, portions being ,broken away.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates as an entirety a comibned receiver and holder or container, capable of serving (a) as the member in which the crystals formed or precipitated by the expansion of a gas in liqu d formcollect, the high pressure of the liquid serving to effect the compacting or compressing of the crystals into a mass or cake con forming substantially to the interior shape of the receiver or holder, the walls of the latter encasing the mass, and (b) as the holder for the mass or cake of snow while evaporation thereof takes place; and the composite structure becoming a refrigerating unit or element which may be handled and utilized for cooling and storing purposes in connection with edibles, whether in frozen or semifrozen condition or not; for example, one or more of these elements may be placed in a package or packing box with a quantity of ice cream, whereby the latter may be kept in its hardened condition for a relatively long period of time ready for consumption. To eliminate danger of persons or children touching the snow or biting it, the encasing member isso constructed that it becomes a substantially sealed device to which access cannot be readily gained except by a breaking or distorting of its walls, or some part holding them together.

One wall of the container, for example the wall a, is formed with a filling opening 1 for a nozzle connected to a pipe leading from I the charged drum of liquid gas, and another wall, for example, the opposing wall 6, is formed with a plurality of openings 2, through which a portion of the liquid escapes as an incident to its expansion and the formation of the crystals or snow. In addition to the functions of the openings'l and 2 just referred to they both serve as escape openings for the vapor resulting from the evaporation of the snow. The openings 1 and 2 may be of any desired size and the number and their arrangement and location may be chan ed to suit circumstances and conditions. n the preferred arrangement the filling opening 1 is formed centrally of the wall a, which may be termed the bottom wall since in the application for Letters Patent already referred to the liquid nozzle supplies the gas upwardly and the escape openings 2 are formed in what may be termed the top wall I) and arranged in concentric relation to the opening 1 see Fig. 1. However, when the refrigerating unit is complete it may be placed in the packing container in any desired position to suit the space which is therein provided for the unit. Y

The liquid gas to be expanded into the receiver and container A may be liquid carbonic acid (carbon dioxide.CO or a com pound or a mixture containing carbondioxide. In the use of the term liquid gas I wish to be understood as comprehending carbon dioxide or a compound or mixture containing carbon dioxide. It will be understood that the shape and size of the combined receiver and holder or container A may be varied and likewise the number of parts or walls utilized and the manner and means used to relate the parts or walls or any one or more thereof into a suitable, substantially sealed receiver and container is immaterial; also, the inlet opening and expansion or escape openings may be formed in any wall or walls of the receiver orvcontainer A. In one form of'construction, the receiver and container may comprise two cup-shaped members, the side walls of which are capable of sliding or telescoping one withiithe other and these sides ma by a sealing means, or by interlocking portions or exteriorly arranged locking elements. In the illustrated form of construction, the receiver and container A comprises an annular Wall 3 and two cup shaped members .4: fitting the opposite ends of this wall; and either the exterior. surface of the wall 3 or the inner surface of the side wall of each member 4 has applied to it a suitable cement, glue or other adhesive, whereby the parts are secured together or related to form the combined receiver and container A.

The walls of the combined receiver and container, that is the annular wall 3 and members 4 in the form of construction shown, are formed from a suitable fibrous material such as is used to make paste boards and like products, the purpose being to provide walls which have a relatively low co-efiicient of heat conductivity also preferably capable of absorbing moisture. The several walls of the combined receiver and container may be made from suitable sheet stock or they may be otherwise formedfrom the fibrous material; and the walls or any thereof may be treated or surfaced as desired.

Figs. 8 to 11, inclusive, illustrate another embodiment of my invention wherein the combined receiver and holder comprises a. sheet metal container having within it walls formed from non-heating conducting material, the purpose being to (a) make a member capable of resisting exteriorly ap lied forces, as result for example by the ropping of the unit or element, or a package containing it or the laying of some body on the unit or the package containing the unit and (b) more securely seal the snow so thatdanger of access to it by children and others is much reduced if not substantially eliminated.

In this form of construction, the outer or reinforcing member B' may comprise two be secured together portion 7 which is adapted to be folded over the flange 7 of the other part and the two flanges rolled down into a seam, as shown at 8, whereby the member is sealed. The inner walls of the parts 5, 6, may be lined with the fibrous material already referred to or other material capable of serving as a non-conductor of heat and preferably capable of absorbing moisture. In the illustrated form of construption, I have shown within the reinforcing member B a receiver and holder such as shown in Figs. 1 to 411, inclusive, it being apparent that the inner encasing member A may be separately made and preferably substantially sealed, as already set forth and the parts 5, 6 shaped to exactly enclose the member, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

As shown the walls of the reinforcing member B are formed with suitable openings, one designated 1a to register with the opening 1 in the member A and the remaining ones designated 2a to register with the escape openings 2.

In the embodiments herein disclosed, the walls encasing the snow are formed of a material that is a non-conductor of heat and preferably capable of absorbing moisture, should any be present. This form of construction has several advantages among which may be mentioned the following: (a) It makes it possible to more conveniently handle the refrigerating unit, since the intense cold or low temperature is not transmitted to the hands-of the operative; (b)

it makes it possible to retard or reduce to a minimum evaporation, since the transfer of heat through the wall or walls of the member is materially reduced, the result being that by regulating the size and number of the escape openings the evaporation of the snow and cooling or temperature maintaining effects to or upon the edibles in the package or container for the latter may be effectively controlled within certain limits according to various conditions that may be present. By controlling the evaporation of the snow the unit may be made of a predetermined size to insure its cooling effect for a certain period of time, that is, that period required for such predetermined size unit to evaporate. By making the units of predetermined sizes dependent upon the periods of time required for storing, wastage of the liquid gas is avoided and its use economically effected.

From the foregoing description it will be noted that the encasing member or members may be readily and cheaply made and are relatively light and that they readily adapt themselves when filled with carbon dioxide snow for packing with edibles.

By sealin the enc-asing member, all danger of contact ofthe snow is substantially eliminated, so long as the snow lasts. In the form of construction shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the'member A is sealed and the member B is sealed by separate means.

In the use of the member A or B it is positioned within the apparatus to and through which the liquid gas is supplied, with the valved controlled nozzle thereof in or registering with the opening 1. The liquid is then admitted to the member the excess liquid escaping through the openings 2 and that portion precipitated is collected and forms into a substantially solid mass due to the pressure of the liquid, substantially filling the member and causing outward pressure on its walls which tends to more securely seal or lockin position.

To those skilled in the art to which my invention relates many changes in construe tion and widely differing embodiments and applications thereof will suggest themselves without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. D My disclosures and the description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

What I claim is:

1. A device of the character described, comprising walls related to form a receiver and holder for crystallized liquefied gas, said walls being formed of substantially non-heat conducting materials, and means for locking said walls in fixed relation to prevent access to the interior thereof, said walls being formed with a plurality of openings one of which serves as an inlet or charging opening.

2. A device of the character described, it,

comprising walls related to form a receiver and holder for crystallized liquefied gas, said walls being formed of substantially non-heat conducting materials, and means for locking said walls in fixed relation to prevent access N to the interior thereof, said walls being formed with a plurality of openings one of which serves as an inlet-or charging opening, said openings being in opposed relation.

3. A mercantile refrigerating packing ele ment comprising a combined receiver and holder formed from fibrous material, one

wall of said device being formedwith an inlet or charging opening and another wall being formed with an escape opening, means for locking said walls in fixed relation to prevent access therewithin, and means for reinforcing said walls.

4. A device of the character disclosed comprising a combined receiver and holder formed from sheet metal having its walls sealed or locked in fixed relation to prevent access to its interior, one wall being formed with an inlet or charging opening and an-- other wall being formed with an escape opening, and a lining for the interior surfaces of'the walls of said device, said lining being formed from non-heat conducting material and formed with openings in registry with the openings first referred to.

5- A device of the character disclosed comprising an encasing member for crystallized liquefied gas and an encasing member for the first mentioned member, one of said members being formed from non-heat conducting material and the other member forming a reinforcement and one of said members having its walls locked or sealed to prevent access to its interior, corresponding Walls of said members being formed with registering openings to permit chargin of the inner member and other correspon ing walls being formed with registering escape openings.

6. A mercantile refrigerating packing ele' ment comprising a composite refrigerating unit adapted for packing in portable packing boxes consisting of a mass of crystallized liquefied gas encased and sealed in walls of non-heat conducting material, said walls being formed with escape openings for the resulting vapor and locked to prevent contact with the crystallized liquefied gas.

7. A mercantile refrigerating packin element comprising a refrigerating unit a dapted for packing in portable packing boxes and consisting of a mass of crystallized liquefied gas encased in composite walls, one of said composite walls being formed with an escape openingfor the resulting vapor and said walls being locked to prevent contact with the crystallized liquefied gas.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

ERNEST S. SUTTON. 

